Beneath
by TruetobeBlue
Summary: What really lies beneath the characters we've all grown to know and love? Addiction, insanity, envy and isolation to name a few. A series of one-shots taking a darker look into the psyche of Mario characters. First-person.


**Hello everyone, it's been a while. Uni has been a real time sink in the last few months, hence the complete lack of updates. But now my first year is done, hopefully I can dedicate more time to writing. **

**This is the first in a series of oneshots that takes a darker look at some of the Mario characters. Each oneshot will be written in first-person, something I am admittedly not very well versed in. I guess it could therefore be said that this is quite the experimental series, so I hope readers with a keen eye will give me feedback on what I can do to improve.**

**With all that said, I hope you enjoy!**

–

**Peach: Addiction**

–

I never really understood the fear of being locked up in a cage. People often bleat about how it must feel to be trapped in a small space with no way out, at the mercy of your jailer. Indeed that's the usual story I preach to anyone who asks and I suppose, that's how it was in the beginning. Not any more. To tell you the truth it is here – locked up in Bowser's Castle – where I feel most alive.

I probably don't need to introduce myself. You know who I am and you know the story, if only because it's been the same tale, repeated ad nauseam for what feels like forever. For those who aren't in the know, I've been kidnapped by Bowser. I won't bore you with the details, just know that involved cake of some kind, an apparently surprising sneak attack, loads of evil laughing...you get the idea.

Perhaps it's indicative of how routine this process is that I'm passing it off as merely another day in the life. Mario and Luigi are probably a day or two away at most, if the bandaged and snivelling state of some of the Koopalings is anything to go by. It'll be sewn up soon, and I'll be on my way back to the Mushroom Kingdom in the arms of my moustachioed knight in shining armour.

Riveting. You're probably wondering why I'm bothering to go over this, because I like I said, you know the story.

Or at least, you know the story that I've created, the story that the kingdom are exposed to.

Let me be frank. I wasn't always like this. In those first few instances of being kidnapped, I was genuinely afraid. I truly feared for the safety of myself, the Mario Brothers and my kingdom. It was horrible and every time I found myself praying that it wouldn't happen again. But it did, repeatedly. Soon, the extraordinary became the routine, and I suddenly found myself experiencing something that you wouldn't associate with someone in my situation.

Whenever I was safe and secure, I was bored.

You probably think I'm insane, but it was the truth. Being a princess, while a job that I take quite seriously, can be mind-numbingly dull at times. Of course there were times when I was able to cut loose and go racing in go-karts, go to parties, play some tennis and so on. I wouldn't be surprised if most people would be content with such a life.

But it all paled in comparison to being whisked away and taken to some unbelievable places. Oh and there have been many, with tropical islands, numerous lands and even the corners of space. There's a certain thrill to it, an element of danger. Of course Mario always seems to come through in the end, but for that short while there are no certainties, and that's part of the thrill.

I know that sounds horrible, like I'm enjoying the fact that Mario constantly puts his life on the line for me. To be honest, that's exactly what it is. Don't get me wrong, I do care for Mario, quite deeply in fact. And if he were to die then there's no doubt that I'd be devastated. But it's that risk, that lack of a guarantee that gets my heart racing, that makes the experience so memorable.

As shocked as you may be, I'm willing to bet that Mario would be the first one to agree with me. As much as he may not admit it, Mario loves a good adventure, and I'm sure a small part of him is ecstatic when he's called into action. Don't believe me? If you ever witness Mario on one of his adventures, just look at his behaviour. He literally shouts with joy at every jump, and there is always a smile on his face. The man likes the experience just as much as I do.

Of course, he wouldn't go through so much peril for nothing. Duty to save the world aside, it's obvious that he holds quite a large degree of affection for me. Have you seen his reactions to when I kiss him? It's not even on the mouth, but his face still turns as red as his overalls and he becomes as excitable as a young Chain Chomp. I particularly remember when I kissed him on the _nose _and...well, he span around, pulled a pose and shouted "HERE WE GOOOO!" at no one particular.

I did say that I cared deeply for Mario. So you might ask why I'm content to let him keep chasing after me whenever I get into trouble, as if I'm exploiting his feelings. The way I see it, I'm giving us both what we want. I get kidnapped, and we both get the rush from adventure, and then I keep him keen for when it happens again. It's not as if I disregard his safety either, haven't you noticed all those letters with the power-ups and mushrooms that Bowser so kindly let me send?

Ah, Bowser. You'd think after so many defeats that he would call it quits and settle down with his kids. Again, it's probably my fault that he hasn't done just that. He's just as enamoured with me as Mario is, possibly even more. Don't believe me? Well if you can come up with another explanation as to why he convinced his son that I was his mother, I'm all ears.

Oh and by the way, that rumour going around of me actually being the mother to Bowser Jr and the Koopalings? Obviously not true. I mean, really.

In any case, I probably don't need to play the same game with Bowser as I do with Mario. Considering how many time he's kidnapped me, plus some perusal of his various diaries, I don't think he'll back down any time soon. He's madly in love with me, to put it lightly, and as long as I am in the jewel in his theoretical crown, he will always come running back. Still, it doesn't hurt to invite him to a few golf tournament and kart races, he's actually a pretty good sport. It makes me feel less guilty about leaving my security at a minimum.

Of course, our vicious cycle has had interruptions - aliens, witches and dimensional mischief makers and ancient demons to name a few – but there have always been two constants: I get kidnapped and Mario rescues me. I suppose there's a certain tragedy in the fact that I have become notorious for my sensibilities towards getting kidnapped, but it keeps things interesting!

But of course there's the question of what would happen in the unlikely event that Mario actually will fail. Simple really, I move on. As much as I care for Mario, the world does not end with him. Assuming they didn't fall together, Luigi can be spurred into action with a little persuasion. Failing that, I'm sure someone like Wario wouldn't fail to heed the call if bait him with a jewel or ten. I can even rescue that if need be. Bowser has already seen what happens when I actually try, and I don't think he liked it one bit.

So here I am, locked inside this cage and telling you this: the story behind the story. My real view on things. I imagine that you're pretty shocked. Perhaps you think I'm lying? Or maybe that you think I have some sort of problem. But seriously, it's fine! Like I've said already, there are already numerous courses of action to take if things go sour, and it's not as if Mario will actually fail. He never will.

Hell, this whole thing is my cultivation, my _creation_. I'm in complete control of it, and I can stop whenever I want. Don't presume to think you know better, because if you hadn't already noticed, I'm not all I appear to be. It's all a massive deception, and one that I intend to continue for as long as it pleases me. Why? It's quite simple.

I don't want to be like Daisy: a one-hit wonder princess whose only distractions from the tedium of running a country come from pity intivations from yours truly.

I don't want to be like Pauline: someone who has fallen so far off the radar that Mario sends _toys_ to rescue her.

I don't want to be like Rosalina: An empty husk of a woman who, behind all that talk about the stars and the cosmos, still longs for meaning in her life. Oh, and her mother.

I'm not like any of them. I matter, because I make myself relevant to those who matter. I'm in the spotlight, I'm the centre of everyone's attention. And for every time the vicious cycle begins anew, the focus on me only becomes stronger. Just ask my subjects, or Mario, or Bowser, or time-travelling aliens, or ancient demon queens, or evil witches. They all see me as the key to their world, for one reason or another. And that's just the way I like it.

So go ahead, make your judgements. I don't care, I'm not sure I've done so for a long time. With all due respect, my life probably has more purpose and value than yours, and it's all my doing. It's a fact that through this cycle I have created, I have experienced more in a decade than you will in a hundred, have amounted to much more than you could ever hope to be. The cycle will only ever end when I will it, and I don't see that coming any time soon.

And to be honest, that's just the way I like it.

–

**Just a nice little thing I came up with. As I mentioned at the top, this little series will look at Mario characters through a different and hopefully darker viewpoint. The idea for this particular chapter came to me when I wondered if Peach actually enjoyed getting kidnapped all the time. I then tried to work in an angle of her being addicted to being kidnapped, while showing all the self-bargaining and frankly rather pathetic aspects of her character in response to that angle.**

**I can only hope I've succeeded in doing that. As I said, this is also my first time writing in the first-person seriously, so constructive feedback and reviews would be greatly appreciated.**

**The next chapter will focus on Bowser. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will see you again in the near future. Hopefully.**


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